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Thursday, 30 July 2015

Today 31 July 2015 police Commissioner Mike Bush made the historic announcement that all frontline NZ Police will be required to be armed on duty with Tasers.

This forward step is stated to cost NZ$600,000 and will entail procurement of a further 600 Tasers.

Police X2 Taser.

Police Association President Greg O'Conner said "this is a courageous, sensible, and timely decision" and that the eventual routine arming of police with guns was inevitable.

Defense Products101 quotes on their US website "Law enforcement officers say that Taser(r) Guns have the equivalent stopping power of a .357" Magnum pistol.".The Taser(r) Gun is not classified as a firearm in America by the FTA and is legal to carry in 45 states - either concealed or openly.

The X2 version can display 'warning arcs' and can fire twice - but the later X3 Taser can be fired three times.

New Zealand Antique
Arms Association Canterbury Incorporated

The New Zealand Antique
Arms Association Canterbury Incorporated is holding an
Auction/Display Day on

Saturday 12th
September 2015.

The event is being held
in the Parade Ring at Riccarton Park, Racecourse Rd Christchurch
opening for viewing at 10am with the auction staring at 12pm.
Displays and sales tables will also be there for viewing and perusal.

Displays are free with
prizes awarded to best in category.

Sales tables are
available for $10 each.

9.00am open for setup of
sales tables and displays. 10.00am doors open for members and auction
items accepted.

If you wish to put
suitable items for sale in the auction please contact the convenor
below.

The Branch is charging a
commission of 10% of final sales value on each item sold at the
auction on the vendor. Hammer price is the sale price. 300 lot
maximum on a first come first served basis, so get in early to
prevent missing out. This is a Mickey Mouse style auction with no
catalogue and therefore no postal bidding.

Any endorsed items sold
will require Police permits to procure to be organised between the
vendor and buyer.

Entrance fee is $10
including financial members.

The bar will be open from
11.00am with food and refreshments available.

Please note that all
persons will be required to present their firearms licence if they
have successfully won an item/s that requires a firearms licence to
possess.

Wednesday, 29 July 2015

Currently the 'Standard' for assessing penetration and comparing the effectiveness of projectiles is ballistic gelatine - but it wasn't always the way.

My penetrating gaze (!) spotted that the 1883 Springfield Minie rifle was rated as able to penetrate four inches of soft pine with its heavy bullet at 1,000 yards - while expected to hit a target the size of a mounted man at 600 yards.

I've also read discussion about how far a WW2 Lee-Enfield .303" penetrated into (or through) piled dirt or sand - such as the ramparts in front of trenches. - It seems that the bullet will penetrate further at long range than it will closer .. as it tends to break-up on impact with a hard substance at the close higher velocity.

Trying to ignore just what type of bullet we are using - the question immediately arises as to how soft is the soft pine used and how rock-filled or granular is the earth or sand.

The guys on the range nowadays sometimes pile-up wet newspapers or soaked telephone books to get some measure of what is happening, and a row of water filled plastic jugs or bottles gives a spectacle to watch - you can have fun counting the blown containers and looking for the slug.

- Hickok45 enjoys shooting bottles of coloured fizzy drink for effect - and that's got to be the best use for dyed liquid sugar you could think-of.

Fun eh.

I've seen tests in gun magazines where straw-board or cardboard is stacked in racks as below:

- and one of the fifty year-old books I just bought was using plastic bags stuffed with cotton waste then filled with water .. all the air was carefully squeezed-out before use.

In the 'OLDEN DAYS' when I first started reading anything that I could find on shooting - 'Duct Seal' or damp potters clay - even blocks of soap were popular for measuring the depth and then recovering projectiles - and to date it is sometimes used by air gun shooters as a bullet trap.

All those old ideas were useful - but they all were only good for comparisons made on the day rather than a measurement. The 10% Ballistic Gel used currently does provide a 'standard' and has the great advantage of being clear so that the "wound path" can be viewed and measured - and the projectiles are more readily traced and extracted if wanted.

Ordnance Ballistic Gel is a tissue simulant only .. anyone looking for an exact replica of an animal torso is really wasting their time as there are as usual - too many variables.

____________

- Way back (in the "Olden Days") I was aghast when I had the 'MKR' for cluster-bombs explained (Maximum Kill Rate). - I was told the then standard method - of tieing various livestock to a grid pattern of stakes - on a bombing range and then "counting heads" after the test drop to assess the percentage kill .. which is somewhat less outrageous than loading them onto a plane with Red Cross markings and flying them to Viet Nam for trials.

Tuesday, 28 July 2015

So - I've always had bad taste in firearms .. I actually like the way Glocks look! - and I like the look of the Ruger LCR Revolvers .. but this is ridiculous eh.

'Champagne' From Firegild.

Is that REAL gold, not just paint?

A small amount of tasteful engraving is one thing - but gold and jewels ?

Firegild quote their flash LCR at $2,600 ish. The way our NZ$ is relative to U.S. I'll pass.

Marty K.P.S. 180 Police were busy yesterday on methamphetamine drug raids on 30 Headhunters gang properties. They have seized some 30 valuable vintage/classic vehicles and some firearms. Among ten persons held by police is an ex-prison guard and three prison inmates.

Friday, 24 July 2015

Mention of the 'Minie' Ball in the previous cartridge story reminded me of the part that it had in the gradual improvements that moved firearms forward - from the early magical noise makers - meant to "frighten the horses" (and the enemy troops) - then becoming a true (smooth-bore) weapon used in volley fire against massed fighters - then through the use of aimed patched ball in guns with a rifled barrel that could be accurate.

Minie Balls make a .45acp look Small.

The French developed the Minie Ball which became a giant step forward in the sniping ability of rifled arms - truly extending the useable range of these black-powder muzzle-loaders - out to as much as 300 yards and even as far as 500 yards.

The hollow base design of the Minie caused the projectile to expand and seal in the rifles bore giving greater power (from less gas loss) and greater accurate range from the imparted spin.

This also permitted a big reduction in bore size and bullet weight without loss of "knock-down effect" - while also increasing the rate of fire as they slid down the bore much easier when loading because they did not need to be a tight fit before firing..

The expanding Minie bullet had a self cleaning effect as it pushed residue from previous shots ahead of itself - reducing fouling by scraping the bore clean.

The higher velocity of the heavy spin stabilised conical bullets also proved to cause greater damage than had earlier round balls.

French Army Captain Minie transformed the way 1850s warfare was conducted, adding 200 yards extra effective range to the infantry-mans ability to defend himself from artillery cannon fire.

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

Ruger built just over 3,000 of these unusual handguns - with an 8.5 inch barrel - on the Blackhawk frame - starting in 1963 and ending production in July 1964.

- Researching information is a bit confused as Ruger have also built a rifle called the Hawkeye .. but the Hawkeye pistol was built as a single shot handgun to fire the .256"Winchester Magnum calibre round.

The .256" round was made by necking-down a .357" Magnum case to take a .257 dia. bullet weighing 60gn that made 2,350 ft. per second velocity as a powerful factory varmint load.

.256" Winchester Magnum Flanking a .357"Mag. Case.

- Now, I'm no genius and when I saw pictures of this rare and unusual Ruger - I imagined that the 'block' or single shot 'cylinder' swung out to expose a chamber in the block to accept the cartridge .. WRONG.

The 'Block' doesn't have a chamber - it works as a breech-block for the chamber which is in the back-end of the barrel. - It does have a spring loaded, in-line firing pin that is wacked by the hammer.

This is something like the rolling block of the early (1865) Snider-Enfield breech-loading rifles in .577" calibre.

How the Ruger Hawkeye actually functioned only came clear to me after seeing a story about the .256" Winchester Magnum in an old 1964 Gun Digest I bought at last Saturdays MAMS Show at Riccarton Racecourse. (If you were planning on going to see these antiques displays and sales tables ..well sorry mate but you've missed it eh).(Mainland Arms & Militaria Shows).

The cylinder / breechblock is released and rolled anti-clockwise (to the left) to expose the chamber and permit the fired round to be extracted to the rear by using the "single-action style" under-barrel ejector (6 & 5 in above diagram).

That's it Folks..

So - should I ever be lucky enough to find a rare 'Hawkeye' I may remember how it works!

_____________

- Now the MAMS show was good and worthwhile - I bought five old books, a pound of Pyrodex "P", x200 #11 caps and x100 Hornady .457" balls for my ROA. - all well priced - and I saw a lot of familiar old faces to chat with.

The most fascinating exhibit at the show was sevenMAXIMmachine-guns recently un-earthed and extracted from a concrete wall here in rural Canterbury. - I'll try to bring you more information on this asap.

But - Check-out the story of how they balanced a Hueys rotor blades in Vietnam with one well placed counter-balance hole, shot opposite to the damaged blade. - Great story!

- the story goes that they then used the 'repaired' chopper as a personal taxi for the rest of their mission .. that's probably where he learned the taxi trade.

Odd to recall, but the NZDF only just decommissioned their Hueys in July this year ..

After nearly 50 years service of these Bell UH-1 Iroquoise - their distinctive sound will be missed. Two of them are going to the Wigram Air Force Museum in Christchurch - and most of the rest are up for sale.

Over 9,000 of these were made and something like 5,000 of them were used in the Vietnam war era.

Many younger folk will recognise the wop-wop sound and the use of the 'Huey' from repeats of TV show MASH.

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Fiddling those #11 percussion caps into correct engagement on my Ruger Old Army makes me appreciate the intent of the Butterfield Army Revolver design. - Patented in 1855 by Jesse Butterfield

-He would have been well pleased to get the U.S. governments order for 2,250 of his revolvers - however he'd have soon been devastated to have that order cancelled before he had built maybe only 640.

Butterfield Army Revolver - Patent 1855.

This ingenious design employed a spring-loaded tube magazine that screwed into place before the trigger-guard - containing disc shaped paper percussion caps that each had a pellet of fulminate in the centre. When the hammer was cocked a small action bar pushed the top priming cap into place directly on top of the cone or nipple to be popped by the hammer fall.

This 'tube-magazine' kept the percussion caps safe until the moment of firing.

These five shot .41" calibre revolvers could also use hand seated conventional copper caps - but the design was overtaken by the development of metallic cartridges and breach loading firearms.

A good idea - even when well made, is not enough - you've got to be in the right place at the right time too. It's surely not easy to make a buck - so keep buying those Lotto tickets eh.

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

My Blogger stats. say that I've posted 365 times to date - so you could read my ramblings every day for a year without repeating .. wow.

I bought the Moultrie M-880 (Gen2) Digital Game Camera because I thought that it might well prove to be a useful toy for general interest - but the main reason was that it might provide photographic evidence of a petty thief trespassing on my section. - I am sensitive about my security for the obvious reasons and that I have various valuable 'sporting goods' in my home.

The Cheek of it.

The picture illustrates that firewood thieves may not aspire to membership of Mensa - or indeed have probably not even heard of it. - Certainly I don't qualify for membership .. but I do know that it's not a very clever thing to "do the crime" and then leave a clear trail in the snow!

My first night-time infra-red, 'black-flash' shots were totally blank white-outs - and it took me a while to determine that my efforts to camouflage the camera by having a few branches in front, while maintaining a clear field of view for the lens was the problem. - The black-flash was bouncing back into the lens - Derrrrrr!

Daytime shots from the Moultrie are great and worth the expense eh? (That's "Lulu" the cat). The first 'download' from the camera was 1,014 images that included shots of one old fart going out to the shops and returning, a courier driver in high-vis delivering a package, various cats, old fart fetching firewood for the log-fire, plus the first dozen 'flashed-out' night-time shots caused by bounce-back.

- But I'd be pushed to say that even the improved dark-side infra-red is much more than 'OK'.

You can tell that it's winter from the on-screen infostrip temperatures.

- Still, - would I recommend this wee boys-toy to my cobbers? - Well certainly, as it does work.

In fact, the three weeks that the Moultrie has stood guard over my wood pile have been shrinkage-free - so that's a score.

- Mind you - it could also be that three visits from marked police cars (parking outside) and the two other clearly visible police suppliedcameras on posts are maybe serving as deterrents.

Life is Good,

Marty K.P.S. Don't assume (as I did) that a USB Cable is, well - a USB Cable. - No, there are at least four different types and you can guarantee that the one you already have for your other camera is wrong and you need some other variety costing $20.

P.P.S: I am sagely advised that drilling a hole in a firewood log and packing it with FFFg to be placed temptingly on top of the heap is a no-no.M.K.

Sunday, 12 July 2015

Reports are arriving that Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews will sign-up to purchase 30,000 new 5.56x45mm rifles from Thales Australia before the end of this July 2015.

Thales EF88 Undergoing Trials.

There being just over 80,000 Australian service personnel this seems to be an initial partial upgrade only.

The Thales EF88 is an upgraded version of the Austrian Steyr AUG that has been further developed by the Australian arms industry (an industry that has been declared "non-existent" by gun control forensic advisor adjunct associate professor Philip Alpers ).

I haven't heard what decision the NZDF have arrived at regarding their rumoured change-over to an AR15 style gun such as the 'Bushmaster' as used by NZ Police - but they might well be influenced by this Australian proposal.

- Now I'm not going to pretend that I've been converted and now actually enjoy *** being hurt in the hand by shooting big bore magnums etc. - but this model gives you the option of being wacked 'till you can show the bruises to your mates .. or you can have fun with the old big-bore a.c.p round that works.

***As a kid I went to a Jesuit College for five years and had blood-blisters (over purple bruises) on my hands from "double four" more than once - dealt-out by black-gowned sadists using a flat whale-bone covered in black india rubber called 'the ferule'

Thursday, 9 July 2015

I guess we all enjoy watching Hickok45s video reviews on guns of interest - and I have viewed (listened to) many of his Radio Shows. It's good to hear so much common-sense when it surely doesn't seem to be very common out there in general today.

The man can shoot - and I would dream of having a home range as good as his.

Hickok45 has taken the opportunity of his 100th Radio Show to change the format a little and he's now doing it for us in front of the camera in his loading room - and calling this new version 'SHOOTING THE BREEZE' .. 'radio with pictures' - some show & tell - and you won't need to wear your ear-muffs!

#2

I've watched #1 and #2 so far and it's good relaxing stuff - I wish him all the best for the next 98 recordings.

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

I've seen disturbing reports (see The Mail Online Wednesday July 8th.)) that an armed police officer refused to confront the killer because he wasn't wearing his bullet-proof vest - but surrendered his pistol to a brave young volunteer who chased the gunman but was unable to work the safety or get the semi-auto pistol to fire properly.

There are plenty of thoughts generated by this account - but any instruction to wait for the police must be questioned. - we must get a more detailed report but it seems that it took another 20 minutes with 38 dead before vest wearing officers ended the shooting.

____________

When maniac Anders Breivic dressed as a police officer in Norway and killed 77 young people in 2011, many delays were caused by police mistakes - but one tragic part of his attack was that there were several instances of the young people not trying to escape - indeed one group lay down on the path hoping that this killer would not shoot them if they played dead when he walked-up. - He shot them all - but some lived to tell how they had thought it was a good idea not to resist.

Breivic (No Death Penalty)

Reference: ' One of Us' by Asne Seirstad - the story of the Norway massacre.

Saturday, 4 July 2015

I had to listen horrified to a 16 minute Radio NZ 'interview' with Philip Alpers - a kiwi now paid to work as the voice of "Gun Banners" in Australia.

Alpers, a long-term lobbyist and self-proclaimed "researcher and forensic consultant" is known for his inaccurate and emotive claims regarding firearms statistics. This morning he offered an imagined "Pacific Consensus on Disarmament" as proof of the peaceful nature of the Pacific Ocean and its nations - "an oasis of hope" - while intermixing his chat with reports of the ongoing gun violence in Papua New Guinea, and its Southern Highlands, - Bougainville, Philippines, Solomon Islands - and Timor Leste, (where New Zealand 'peace-keepers' were posted for many years).

- He somehow overlooked the repeated armed coups in Fiji as further examples of his 'peaceful pacific'.

Alpers stated that the guns and ammunition used in the pacific nation violence are supplied by theirpolice and armed forces - who were themselves supplied with those weapons by the Governments of New Zealand and Australia. (but he wants civilian ownership of firearms banned!).

Alpers claimed that there are "no AK47s" in the Pacific area because " we use the wrong ammunition"
Among other spurious claims made in this radio speech, Alpers said that New Zealand Police are unarmed - (1,771 Glock 9mm pistols and 908 Bushmaster rifles!), that mental health is not an issue in mass shootings in America as "80% to 90% of killers have no mental health issues" and that "alcohol, guns, and maleness" are the causes - as 98% of the mass killers are male.

As reward for his expertise, Alpers has been granted the title of 'adjunct associate professor' at the School of Public Health in Sydney. (He has no health qualification).

It should be noted that Alpers did not attend or obtain any academic qualification from any recognised University until this adjunct (something added). - He is however, founding "director" of Gun Policy.org and director of the Centre for armed Violence Reduction.

You can listen to this "Sunday Morning" interview with Wallace Chapman on the Radio NZ web-site.

Marty K.P.S. Philip Alpers is said to receive funding from United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. He claims to have no other relevant affiliations.

Alpers is on record as claiming that Australia has no remaining arms industry .. I wonder where the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces F88 Austeyr AUG rifles and F89 Minimi came from then .. er, Lithgow in NSW ? I'm sure that I have visited their display at the Small Arms Factory in Lithgow! - Now 'corporatised' - Australian Defence Industries (ADI) are currently owned by ThalesAustralia.

Thales F90-2 Rifle.

Alpers, previously a "journalist" in New Zealand - obviously believes "Why spoil a good story with the facts?".

Friday, 3 July 2015

The batteries in my camera have gone flat AGAIN .. Mustn't grumble eh.

Both The Above Are A Handful.

- So I was giving the old hand exerciser a few squeezes last night while pretending to watch 'theTelly' - using both hands alternately - and although I know why I was doing it - I wondered what "the experts" would have to say about it.

Bear in mind my teen-age grand-daughter recently did not have the strength to rack some slides - or hammer cock a revolver or pull the trigger double-action ! - Not everyone is as big and ugly as me!

- Just what exercise is rated as good for pistol shooting? - I'm guessing that the fitter and stronger you are in general will make you better at everything.

These are Said to Be Better

- As you Can Work Each Finger Separately.

- Start with a lighter spring as it's the repetition that strengthens.

A couple of sites recommend forearm & wrist-strengthening by winding-up (and down) a weight suspended from a length of broom-stick thus:

Using a plastic milk bottle as a weight lets you start-off light and increase the load by adding more water when you feel ready.

No - it's not just playing with guns - It's dry firing practice .. one reason why kiwi target shooters are permitted to keep their restricted firearms at home.

Marty K.

P.S. Rod's popped-up to e-mail:

﻿

Hi Marty

Back when I was shooting serious international competition in the 1980’s and 90’s, I used dumb-bells in each hand and practiced holding them at arm’s length with each hand while maintaining correct shooting stance (in other words pretending the dumb-bells were a pistol). This strengthened the shoulders as well as the grip, although a vise-like grip is not what you want as this will introduce forearm muscle tremors. A firm grip is all that is required with the shoulder muscles doing all the lifting and holding. Doug Koenig’s advice about dry-firing practice is spot-on, and I did the same thing at least once a week, and leading up to a competition I would do 10 minutes per day. The other thing I found most beneficial was going into a shoot intending to do my best but enjoy myself at the same time. If I got wound up about my placings or little mistakes then I got disappointing results. When I won shoots or set NZ records it was always when I was in the ‘have fun’ frame of mind!

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Today 2nd July -A 40 year old Security Officer Benjamin Downes pleaded Guilty in the New Plymouth Courthouse to stealing two police issue Glock pistols, magazines and ammunition - that were held by the District Court as evidential exhibits - following the police shooting of Steven Wallace in 2000. - He was remanded for later sentencing.

Security Guard Downes.

One of the stolen pistols was recovered when a Taumaranui man Max Aramoana was arrested on methamphetamine and firearms charges in June 2013 - until this recovery the pistols theft had not been noticed.

Max Aramoana

Sentenced to Nine Years & 11 Months.

I have not seen any report that the second stolen police pistol has been recovered yet.

The New Zealand Police are reported to have 1771 Glock pistols in service and 908 Bushmaster .223" rifles.

Other Glocks, - 'parts' and a Taser have been reported as "missing" in recent years, - while unarmed police senior officers are said to carry as many as six firearms locked in their patrol cars.

Police may wear guns in hip or shoulder holsters at their own discretion but should notify a senior officer if possible.

As I seem to be shooting more & more .22" rim-fire stuff lately - I wondered which brands were recognised as "the best".

"Eight is Enough"

- A difficult question to answer as there are as usual - too many variables to consider.

The obvious excuse for burning-up buckets of mouse rounds is COST - and I've been haggling with counter staff over a few dollars on bulk packaged crap for so long now - that price has overwhelmed all other thinking. - That said - if you are shopping at the "worlds biggest gun shop" in Christchurch NZ - you really need to keep a calculator in hand - as those boys are sharp.

My .22" Calibre Glock Conversion.

- It should also be remembered that if like me - you are mostly just shooting for fun at shortish ranges - the true accuracy of the ammunition may not be that big of an issue.

Then you do have to sort-out which particular 'brand' your shooter likes and one that you can afford to buy.

I took a look online and www.accurateshooter.com had a serious table showing their results of burning 4,000 rounds - plotting the results at three ranges, 50 yards, 75 yards, and 100 yards - while using a real Swiss made target rifle.

Their Number 1 is Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS, and my quick look placed Lapua Midas Plus in second place - while you need to scan well down the chart before any other makers names start to appear.

There is a bit of chat online atwww.nzrimfire.com that's worth a look - they seem to suggest the usual advice to buy a range and try them in your gun - and use hunting ammunition on rabbits etc. as the target stuff just drills a neat hole and goes straight through with minimal damage.

- Good advice especially when these rare-breeds target-rounds can cost $25 plus for a packet of x50.

The cheap stuff that I'm popping-off currently comes 555 rounds thrown in a cardboard cube and has the occasional dud round - but mostly it goes bang and puts a hole somewhere in the paper.

Well Done That Man.

- While talking about 'mouse guns' - the .457" diameter lead balls that boom out of the Ruger Old Army .44" certainly rip a big hole in paper targets (at 25 cents each) - or maybe it's all that smoke, grease and unburnt charcoal!

- Anyway - I just bought another box of '555' for NZ$50. - Wow that's still 9 cents a pop!